"Top Gear" Rapped for Filming Drinking and Driving During Episode

TV host Jeremy Clarkson of "Top Gear" is criticized for drinking and driving on camera.

The BBC Trust has criticized the popular motoring show "Top
Gear" for a scene in which presenter Jeremy Clarkson is seen drinking
alcohol while driving. The scene, which produced substantial viewer complaints,
showed the TV host sipping alcohol while trying to drive towards the magnetic
north pole.

The BBC Trust called the scene "highly
irresponsible", said that it "could be seen to glamorize the misuse
of alcohol" and concluded that it "was not editorially justified in
the context of a family show pre-watershed". The BBC Trust did acknowledge
that under British law, drinking a small quantity of alcohol while driving
remained legal.

Top Gear producers responded to the complaints by saying
that since they were in international waters at the time of filming and as such
they were beyond any legal jurisdiction over the use of alcohol while driving.

Viewers also complained about a scene showing a frostbitten
penis during that same episode. The BBC Trust concluded that the frostbitten
penis was shown in an editorial and non sexual way, and was justified.

Here are 2 facts about alcoholism: It tends to get worse over time (it is progressive) and most people experience a fairly similar progression of symptoms and consequences. Here is a timeline which charts the progressive experiences of alcoholism through the early, middle and late stages. If you have a drinking problem, find out where you fall on the timeline and consider what’s coming in the future.